Canadian Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree previously advocated for the immigration of a man identified by Canadian authorities as a member of the Tamil Tigers, Global News has reported.
Before joining Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet in 2023, Anandasangaree wrote letters on behalf of Senthuran Selvakumaran, a Sri Lankan national whose immigration applications had been repeatedly denied due to his alleged involvement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a group listed as a terrorist organisation in Canada.
According to Global News, letters written in 2016 and July 2023 on Anandasangaree’s House of Commons letterhead were sent to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). In his most recent letter, dated July 19, 2023, Anandasangaree urged officials to reconsider Selvakumaran’s application, stating that denying him permanent residency was “cruel and inhumane” as it separated him from his Canadian wife and child.
The following week, Anandasangaree was appointed Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, and in May this year, he became Public Safety Minister.
Selvakumaran has been trying to immigrate to Canada since 2005, but the CBSA consistently rejected his applications, citing national security concerns over his “protracted involvement” with the LTTE.
In October 2023, CBSA President Erin O’Gorman signed the recommendation to deny his permanent residency, noting that while Anandasangaree’s letter supporting family reunification was considered, the primary concerns remained national security and public safety.
Responding to questions, Anandasangaree stated on Monday that commenting would be inappropriate as the matter is before the courts. However, he clarified that the letters were written before he became a minister and added, “As minister, I have never sent a letter seeking ministerial relief in an immigration matter. When I was appointed minister in July 2023, I instructed my constituency staff to no longer provide such letters.”
The case came to light during Selvakumaran’s recent court challenge to overturn the CBSA’s decision. On Wednesday, the Federal Court rejected his appeal, despite including Anandasangaree’s letters in his submission, as reported by Global News.
Selvakumaran’s lawyer, Lorne Waldman, confirmed that Anandasangaree supported the application for ministerial relief before taking up his current ministerial post.
